1. Field of Invention
My invention relates in general to fishhook setters and in particular to such devices that are spring biased for activation by a fish but not resettable by it.
2. Description of Prior Art
My invention provides both a fish snubber and a hook setting device. The principles of each are known generally in the prior art but the instant invention provides improvements over that prior art.
Snubbing devices are inserted in fishing lines to prevent a hooked fish from unsetting the hook. Most provide a resilient elastic linkage of some sort to absorb shock and alternate line tension caused by the hooked fish. The snubbing feature per se is not a part of my invention, except as to its existence in the hook setting device.
Some fishhook setting devices known in the prior art function on the same principle and appear physically similar to the instant invention. My invention differs from the prior art, however, in particular structure which prevents resetting of the device by movement of a hooked fish after the device has been triggered. This particular structure provides spring connected guide rods angled slightly relative to one another by connection to diagonally opposed ends of a coil spring so that upon spring extension the rod carrying one portion of the latching device may rotate ninety degrees against bias to engage a latching device, thereby making inadvertent re-engagement practically impossible. Prior art devices of the same type generally provide substantially parallel guide rods each carrying a latching device so that certain combinations of pulling and bending forces will allow the latching device to be reset by the actions of a hooked fish. Resetting of the latching device or a subsequent re-release quite often manipulates a serviced fishhook in a manner that will cause the fish to become unhooked. Since my invention will not allow such inadvertent resetting once the device is triggered, this distinguishes my invention from the prior art. My device also provides a smoother action, lower probability of fouling and simpler construction of greater durability that prior art devices.